Will Pipes Freeze in Natrona County, WY? 104 nights a Year
Freeze nights in Natrona County
In a normal year Natrona County, WY gets 104 nights at or below 20°F, the point where bare pipes in a garage, attic or outside wall start to freeze. That is more than 93% of US counties.
Risk level: Severe. The risk season runs October to April, worst in December.
It depends where the pipe is
| Pipe | Freezes near | Nights a year |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor spigot, open crawlspace | 32°F | 195 nights |
| Bare pipe in garage, attic or outside wall | 20°F | 104 nights |
| Insulated pipe in unheated space | 10°F | 50 nights |
| Inside the heated house | 0°F | 20 nights |
Foam-sleeving a bare pipe in unheated space takes it from 104 nights of risk to 50 nights. A 12 ft heat-tape kit runs $17 to $37; an average burst-pipe repair is about $500.
Month by month
Nights at or below 20°F in a normal year.
First 32°F night is usually around 09/20, last around 05/23. For 20°F: 10/21 to 04/17.
How cold Natrona County nights get
Average winter (Dec-Feb) low: 12°F; the coldest month, December, averages 11°F overnight. 10 months normally bring at least one night below 32°F (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec). Nights below 10°F, cold enough to freeze insulated pipe in an unheated space, come in January, February, March, April, October, November, December: 50 nights a year, and 20 nights below zero.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11°F | 13°F | 22°F | 29°F | 37°F | 45°F | 52°F | 51°F | 41°F | 30°F | 20°F | 11°F |
Natrona County next to its neighbours
Washakie County, WY, 124 km northwest, gets 107 nights below 20°F to Natrona County's 104 nights. Converse County, WY, 101 km east, gets 92 nights.
| County | Distance | Below 32°F | Below 20°F | Jan low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natrona County, WY | - | 195 nights | 104 nights | 11°F |
| Converse County, WY | 101 km east | 182 nights | 92 nights | 13°F |
| Johnson County, WY | 119 km north | 190 nights | 99 nights | 11°F |
| Washakie County, WY | 124 km northwest | 189 nights | 107 nights | 5°F |
| Carbon County, WY | 142 km south | 205 nights | 104 nights | 11°F |
| Fremont County, WY | 150 km west | 184 nights | 105 nights | 8°F |
| Hot Springs County, WY | 158 km northwest | 186 nights | 105 nights | 9°F |
Natrona County within WY
Natrona County ranks 11 of 23 WY counties for nights below 20°F. The most is Sublette County, WY at 165 nights, with a 1°F average winter low. The fewest is Platte County, WY: 69 nights, winter lows near 16°F. At 5,678 ft, Natrona County sits 382 ft above the state's median county elevation of 5,297 ft.
What to do here
- Treat it as a building fix, not a night-of routine: insulate, heat tape, seal crawlspace vents.
- An automatic leak shutoff pays for itself if one burst is avoided.
- Know where the main shutoff is before the first hard freeze.
The dates to be done by: when freeze season starts and ends.
Where this comes from
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, blended from 3 nearby stations and adjusted for elevation; closest is Powder River #2, WY, 19 km away (close match). A normal year, not tonight's forecast: check the forecast low for the night itself. Why elevation is part of the blend: how county numbers are made.